Tigrayan refugees in #Sudan hold peaceful protest, call for urgent humanitarian assistance

Tigrayan refugees residing in Tenedba camp, eastern Sudan, staged a peaceful demonstration on Thursday, 17 July, calling for urgent international intervention in response to rapidly deteriorating humanitarian conditions.

According to a report by local media in Tigray, the refugees, many of whom fled from Western Tigray, said they are enduring increasingly dire conditions in the official camps. Protesters voiced concern over the significant decline in humanitarian assistance in recent months, citing severe shortages of food and medicine. Protesters warned that, without immediate assistance, lives are at risk on a daily basis.

A day earlier, on 16 July 2025, Lt. General Tadesse Werede, President of the Tigray Interim Administration, stated that “the return of all displaced persons to their homes is not a political matter, but a humanitarian one.”
He made the remarks during a meeting with Andrew Mbogori, Country Director of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Ethiopia. Lt. Gen. Tadesse emphasized the urgent need to facilitate the safe return of displaced Tigrayans, warning that many continue to face hunger, lack of shelter, and increased vulnerability with the onset of the rainy season.

https://addisstandard.com/?p=51486

Editorial: A Perilous Regression: Ethiopia’s draft CSO law threatens what’s left of its civic space. Reverse it before too late!

In a deeply alarming reversal of Ethiopia’s democratic trajectory, the government is preparing to reintroduce repressive controls over civil society through a new draft amendment to the Civil Society Organizations (CSO) Proclamation.

This publication believes the proposed amendment is not just a bureaucratic reform; it’s a direct assault on freedoms of association, expression, and accountability.

By handing sweeping control to the state, including over funding, leadership, and activities of CSOs, the draft law is not only a revival of the spirit of the repressive 2009 regime that silenced civic voices for nearly a decade. Worse, it embeds vague “national security” clauses to shut down dissent and violate what’s left of the civic space, hallmarks of absolute authoritarian control.

If enacted, this law would dismantle the hard-won gains of the 2019 CSO Proclamation landmark reform.

We call on the government to scrap this regressive bill and build a transparent, inclusive legal framework, one that regulates without repressing.

With national elections looming and civic trust in short supply, the last thing the government should do is make Ethiopia bolt shut its last democratic window.

https://addisstandard.com/?p=51490

#Ethiopia: Parliament accepts resignation of Rights Commission Deputy Chief and Commissioner

The House of People’s Representatives has officially accepted the resignation letters of Rakeb Messele, Deputy Chief Commissioner of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC), and Rigbe Gebrehawaria, Commissioner for Women, Children, Persons with Disabilities, and Older Persons.

The announcement was made today by the EHRC, confirming the “formal approval of the commissioners’ request in line with parliamentary procedure.”

The two senior officials submitted their resignations last week, providing the required three-month notice score the end of their terms.

Sources from within the Commission told the BBC that the departures came amid internal tensions, with both commissioners allegedly “pushed” to resign due to the “leadership style” of the newly appointed Chief Commissioner, Berhanu Adelo.

A former senior official of the EPRDF regime, Berhanu was appointed to the position on 30 January this year, following the resignation of former Chief Commissioner Daniel Bekele (PhD) in July 2024.

Rakeb Messele had served as Acting Chief Commissioner until Berhanu’s appointment.

In its statement today, the EHRC expressed “deep gratitude” to Rakeb and Rigbe for their dedicated service.

https://x.com/addisstandard/status/1946269202844889535?s=46&t=ofAzVW8-64dDK-xsjodCGA

#Sudan: Aid cuts leave refugee agency unable to shelter six in 10 fleeing war in #Sudan

Major cuts to aid budgets have already left people fleeing wars in Sudan and beyond without the assistance and protection they need, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Friday.

Globally, $1.4 billion of the agency’s programmes are being shuttered or put on hold, UNHCR said in a new report.

“We can't stop water, you can’t stop sanitation, but we're having to take decisions when it comes, for example, to shelter,” said UNHCR Director of External Relations Dominique Hyde.

“We're have people arriving on a daily basis from Sudan, from the Darfur regions…arriving in Chad, not able to be given any shelter."

On the Sudan-Chad border, the UN agency is now unable to provide “even basic shelter” to more than six in 10 refugees fleeing the conflict. Thousands more vulnerable people have been left stranded in remote border locations in South Sudan too. “If we just had a bit more support, we could get them to settlements,” she insisted.


https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/07/1165430

#Mossad chief reportedly asked Witkoff for #US help to move out #Gazans, possibly to #Ethiopia, #Libya, #Indonesia

Mossad spy agency head David Barnea visited Washington this week as Israel seeks the Trump administration’s help in moving Palestinians out of Gaza, Axios reports, citing two sources with knowledge of the matter.

The two sources say Barnea told US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff that Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Libya have shown willingness to take Palestinian refugees from Gaza, and that Washington should offer “incentives” to those countries to agree to the relocation.

However, Witkoff was non-committal on the issue, a source says.

US officials also say that the White House is not keen on transferring Palestinians out of Gaza amid opposition from Arab countries.

The efforts come months after US President Donald Trump proposed that all of Gaza’s residents be moved indefinitely while the Strip is rebuilt. Arab countries and much of the Western world strongly opposed the idea, while Netanyahu and his coalition enthusiastically supported it.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/mossad-chief-reportedly-asked-witkoff-for-us-help-to-move-palestinians-out-of-gaza/

EXCLUSIVE: Mining Saga - #Oromia Mining Authority seeks license revocation; Hong Kong Xingxu denies sale to #Askari as Australian firm remains silent

Is #Ethiopia’s mining industry rush heading into a regulatory storm? Oromia’s Mineral Development Authority (OMDA) has formally asked the federal Ministry of Mines to revoke three licenses held by Hong Kong Xingxu Mining in West Wellega, accusing the company of “material breach” of both federal and regional mining laws. OMDA says the Ministry’s renewal of licenses was illegal and done without consultation: “This action was taken without valid justification… constituting a material breach,” reads the letter seen by Addis Standard.

Askari announced “acquisition” of the Nejo Project. Oromia disagrees. So does Xingxu.

Did Askari Metals really take over the Nejo Gold Project in Ethiopia? The Australian firm claims a full acquisition from Xingxu via a “binding share purchase agreement,” calling it a “major milestone” in its Africa expansion.

But Hong Kong Xingxu’s country manager denies any sale: “We did not sell the license. It’s a joint venture under a share swap, no money exchanged,” Surafel Wondimagegn told Addis Standard.

The Oromia Authority says it wasn’t informed of any deal and warns it won’t support Xingxu “or any of its affiliate partners.”

Overlaps, and silence from federal ministry

OMDA cites legal and operational violations, overlapping claims, and a lack of community engagement. It warns these issues “undermine investor confidence and regional governance.” The Authority adds that renewed licenses were based on an “unprecedented” three-year extension, which breaches both federal and regional proclamations. The Ministry of Mines has yet to respond to Addis Standard’s queries, even as the controversy deepens. Are regional voices being sidelined again in Ethiopia’s mining decisions?

A new flashpoint in Ethiopia’s mining politics?

The saga echoes the 2018 MIDROC license protests that rocked Oromia and forced the federal government to reverse its decision. Is this another battle over resource governance? OMDA is now demanding a halt to all new mining licenses in Oromia and wants a federal-regional consultation framework. Askari remains silent on Addis Standard’s questions.

Unanswered questions: Can Ethiopia balance foreign investment with local accountability? How transparent are deals struck in the name of development?

Read Addis Standard’s exclusive report…

https://addisstandard.com/?p=51493

#Egypt rejects #US quid pro quo over #Gaza and #Ethiopia dam

Egyptian officials have rejected a US offer to intervene in the Nile dam dispute in return for aiding Israel’s plan to build a concentration camp Gaza's south.

Egypt has rejected a quid pro quo offered by the US that would see it mediate an end to the crisis over Ethiopia’s Nile dam in return for Cairo allowing Israel to displace Gaza’s population into Rafah, high-level Egyptian diplomatic sources told Al Araby Al Jadeed, the Arabic-language sister site of The New Arab.

One Egyptian diplomat told the news outlet that the #Trump administration had offered what one senior US official called a "decisive intervention" to solve the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (#GERD).

In return, Egypt would need to back Israel’s plan to confine millions of Palestinians in a concentration camp close to the Rafah border.


https://www.newarab.com/news/egypt-rejects-us-quid-pro-quo-over-gaza-and-ethiopia-dam

#Somalia rejects #Ethiopia's request to join naval drill over #Somaliland maritime deal

Somalia has rejected Ethiopia’s request to participate in an upcoming multinational military exercise in Somali territorial waters, citing violations of international law and the country’s sovereign maritime rights.

Defence Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi said the Somali government issued an official objection after Ethiopia formally expressed interest in joining the coastal drill during a recent summit of East African foreign ministers held in Addis Ababa.

“We cannot allow a landlocked nation to operate in our waters,” Fiqi said. “Somalia maintains full sovereignty over its land, sea, and airspace. Any unauthorized involvement by Ethiopia in maritime drills violates international maritime law and our national regulations.”

Ethiopia proposed contributing naval personnel to the AU‑led AUSSOM peacekeeping mission during the EASF summit in Mogadishu. The initiative was seen by Somali officials as a replay of its broader maritime ambitions tied to the earlier Somaliland naval‑base memorandum.

Fiqi emphasized that landlocked states have no legal grounds to operate in the waters of another nation without formal approval, which Somalia has not granted. “There is no precedent or legal framework that allows this kind of involvement,” he said.

This latest dispute unfolds against the backdrop of a diplomatic crisis triggered by a January 1, 2024, memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Ethiopia and Somaliland. Under the deal, Somaliland—a self-declared republic not internationally recognized—agreed to lease a 20-kilometre stretch of coastline near Berbera to Ethiopia for the development of a naval base. In return, Ethiopia signalled symbolic recognition of Somaliland’s independence, prompting sharp condemnation from Mogadishu.

https://www.hiiraan.com/news4/2025/July/202266/somalia_rejects_ethiopia_s_request_to_join_naval_drill_over_somaliland_maritime_deal.aspx

For third time, #Trump repeats claim that U.S. funded construction of #GERD

Speaking at a White House dinner on Friday, where President Donald Trump hosted Republican senators, he repeated the claim - for the third time in a month - that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (#GERD) was funded by the United States. “Ethiopia built a dam with United States money, largely,” he said.

In reality, the #GERD is entirely funded by the people of #Ethiopia through public contributions and domestic resources. It poses no threat to #Egypt’s water security.

Once again, Addis Standard calls on the #Ethiopian government to step up its diplomatic engagement with the United States and take a firm stand to counter and correct these misleading narratives.

#Israeli military attacks #Houthi targets in #Yemen's #Hodeidah port

The Israeli military attacked Houthi targets in Yemen's Hodeidah port on Monday in its latest assault on the Iran-backed militants, who have been striking ships bound for Israel and launching missiles against it.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the army was "forcefully countering any attempt to restore the terror infrastructure previously attacked".
The Houthi-run Al Masirah TV said on Monday that a series of attacks on the port was under way, without providing any details.

In a statement, the Israeli military said the port it attacked had been used "among other things, to transfer weapons from the Iranian regime, which are then used by the Houthi to execute terrorist attacks against the State of Israel and its allies."
Since Israel's war in Gaza against the Palestinian militant group Hamas began in October 2023, the Iran-aligned Houthis have been attacking vessels in the Red Sea in what they say are acts of solidarity with the Palestinians.

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-military-attacks-houthi-targets-yemens-hodeidah-port-2025-07-21/

News: PSI calls for immediate release of Dr. Daniel Fentaneh, detained #Ethiopian health workers

Public Services International (PSI), a global federation representing over 30 million public sector workers, has called for the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Daniel Fentaneh and other detained Ethiopian health professionals, denouncing the arrests as a violation of fundamental labor and human rights.

In a statement issued on Monday, PSI voiced its full support for the Ethiopian Health Professionals Movement, which has been advocating for decent pay, improved working conditions, and meaningful social dialogue. The organization described the detention of Dr. Daniel and numerous others over recent weeks as a direct attack on the right of workers to organize, speak out, and demand their rights.

PSI urged the Ethiopian government to end what it described as a crackdown on organized labor and instead honor its commitments under the International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions it has ratified.

https://addisstandard.com/?p=51513

#Commentary: #Ethiopia’s perennial political settlement trials

In this commentary originally published in The Addis Standard Quarterly Journal (ASQJ), Issue #2, Mebratu Kelecha writes, “Ethiopia’s historical journey has been a continuous struggle to establish lasting political settlements, but all of which have ultimately ended in failure.” He argues that the country's political trajectory has been shaped by “repeated power centralization, exclusion, and cycles of reform and repression,” tracing these patterns from Emperor Menelik II’s territorial expansion and consolidation of power to Haile Selassie’s autocratic rule. According to the author, the 1974 revolution, which brought in the #Derg regime, was characterized by "repression." While the #EPRDF’s rise to power in 1991 introduced federalism and a framework for power-sharing, Mebratu emphasizes that “exclusionary politics persisted.”

He further explains that following the death of former Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in 2012, political dissent intensified, culminating in widespread protests and the resignation of his successor, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn. Mebratu recalls that “Abiy Ahmed’s 2018 rise brought hope,” marked by the release of political prisoners and the normalization of relations with #Eritrea. However, he notes that this period of optimism was short-lived, as it was quickly followed by a “resurgence of communal tensions and internal conflicts,” ultimately culminating in the devastating two-year war in #Tigray, which claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.

The article highlights that despite the Pretoria peace agreement, significant challenges persist in its execution, while tensions remain elevated in the #Amhara and #Oromia regions. As hostilities with the #Fano militia intensify in Amhara and peace negotiations with the Oromo Liberation Army (#OLA) remain stagnant, Mebratu emphasizes that reconciliation “remains elusive."

The author argues that breaking this deep-rooted cycle of instability necessitates a fundamental recalibration of state-society relations to build “inclusive governance.” This endeavor, he states, requires a balanced approach of "integration and accommodation," underscoring that success will depend on “learning from past failures” and ensuring all groups have “a meaningful stake in governance.”

https://addisstandard.com/?p=51507

#Somalia: #Puntland reveals reasons behind confiscation of the Sea World Vessel

Puntland authorities confiscated the Sea World vessel after navigating off Bareeda for two days without official notification, Puntland said, noting that the actions violated international maritime law under UNCLOS Articles 19(2) (b)(g).

The ship, Puntland said in a statement, entered a conflict zone where ISIS operations are ongoing, posing a direct threat to regional security and stability. The Puntland administration is pursuing ISIS militants within the Cal-Miskaad mountains.

With the formal investigations now going on, the authorities have narrowed it down to the ship's ownership, intent, and cargo. Any party found complicit in this breach will be held accountable under international law, Puntland said.

https://garoweonline.com/en/news/somalia/somalia-puntland-reveals-reasons-behind-confiscation-of-the-sea-world-vessel

#Kenyan pro-democracy activist charged with alleged possession of ammunition

The prominent Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi was on Monday charged with unlawful possession of ammunition in a case stemming from his alleged role in street protests against the government.

Opposition leaders and Mwangi's followers had feared he would be charged with the more serious offense of terrorism.

He was freed on bond immediately after his appearance in court on Monday.

The charge sheet said the suspect possessed three canisters of tear gas without lawful authorization. His attorney, Njanja Maina, told reporters on Sunday that Mwangi never possessed such items.

Mwangi's wife Njeri, in a post on the social media platform X, said on Saturday that security personnel raided their home and took the activist and his electronic gadgets while “talking of terrorism and arson.” Police said after his arrest on Friday that Mwangi was linked to the facilitation of violent activities in recent street protests. Detectives searched his home and his office.

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/kenyan-pro-democracy-activist-boniface-mwangi-charged-alleged-123918543

#Eritrean president Isaias Afwerki dismisses what he described as “Ethiopian rhetoric” as “childish threats”

In a two-hour interview aired on Eritrean State Television on Saturday, 19 July, President Isaias Afwerki sharply criticized what he called recent rhetoric from Ethiopian officials, dismissing it as “childish threats.”

Responding to remarks about Ethiopia’s population size, drone capabilities, and missile range, Isaias questioned the motivation behind such statements. “We are 130 million; why say that? Who are you trying to threaten?” he asked, ridiculing what he described as repetitive and exaggerated claims. “Saying this over and over only exposes the absurdity of the discourse,” he added, without attributing the said discourse to anyone.

The president also condemned open discussions about military actions, including suggestions of port seizures and cross-border strikes. “We have missiles, drones, tanks… strike this, hit that; they say all of it in public,” he said.

#NEBE says preparations underway to hold seventh national election in all regions, including #Tigray

The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) has announced that preparations are underway to conduct the upcoming seventh national elections across all regions of the country, including the Tigray region.

Melatework Hailu, Chairperson of NEBE, briefed reporters today on the revised “Ethiopian Electoral, Political Parties Registration, and Electoral Code of Conduct Proclamation,” recently approved by the House of People’s Representatives.

During the briefing, Melatework confirmed that preparations are well underway nationwide. “We have an office in Tigray, and just like in other regions, we are preparing for the election,” she said.

Addressing the five-year suspensions of political parties, she explained that parties previously faced deregistration if they failed to address suspension reasons. The new law allows suspensions for up to five years to preserve party existence. Addressing this, Melatework clarified, “The suspension period can be less than five years,” emphasizing the aim is to protect parties from being permanently deregistered.

https://addisstandard.com/?p=51516

EXCLUSIVE: Mining Saga - #Oromia Mining Authority seeks license revocation; Hong Kong Xingxu denies sale to #Askari as Australian firm remains silent

The Oromia Mineral Development
Authority (OMDA) has asked Ethiopia's federal Ministry of Mines to revoke three mining licenses granted to Hong Kong Xingxu Mining in West Wellega, citing serious violations of mining laws and accusing the federal ministry of renewing the licenses without legal consultation. At the center of the controversy is the Nejo Gold Project, which Askari Metals, an Australian company, claims to have acquired from Xingxu. However, Xingxu denies any sale, saying the arrangement was a share swap joint venture, not a full acquisition.

OMDA also says it was not informed of the deal and has vowed not to support Xingxu or its partners. The authority further criticizes the federal government for a three-year license renewal it calls illegal and warns the situation could damage investor confidence and weaken local governance. The Ministry of Mines has not responded, while Askari has remained silent.

The dispute raises concerns about transparency, regional authority, and foreign investment in Ethiopia’s mining sector, drawing parallels with the 2018 protests over the MIDROC gold mine.

Read Addis Standard’s exclusive report…

https://addisstandard.com/?p=51493